NEWS BRIEF Diane Sawyer, Elena Kagan, Homophobic Law in Lithuania

May 13, 2010

Diane Sawyer Closing Ratings Gap With Brian Williams
5/12/2010
Huffington Post: Diane Sawyer cut the gap between her "World News" and first-place "NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams" last week to the smallest margin since she took over the program.
As Clinton Aide, Kagan Recommended Tactical Support For An Abortion Ban
5/11/2010
New York Times: Elena Kagan, President Obama’s nominee to the Supreme Court, once recommended to President Bill Clinton that he support a Democratic-sponsored ban on some late-term abortions as a way to defeat a stronger measure gaining momentum in the Senate.
Lithuania Adopts Homophobic Law
5/11/2010
RH Reality Check: The Law on the Protection of Minors against the Detrimental Effect of Public Information adopted in Lithuania came into force in March. It restricts any public dissemination of information affecting the “mental health, physical, intellectual or moral development” of children under 18.
Quiet Resistance To Women On Subs
5/12/2010
New York Times: While the decision to allow women on submarines opens a prestigious career path to women and increases the Navy’s recruiting pool for submarine postings, it has been met with quiet resistance within what has long been proudly called “the Silent Service,” according to active-duty and retired submariners.
Laura Bush: More Interesting Than Her Husband
5/12/2010
Salon: On "Larry King," the former first lady expresses support for gay marriage and abortion. I always did like her best.
A Spreading Peril For Women’s Privacy And Freedom
5/9/2010
New York Times: The painful decision to end a pregnancy should be made in private between a woman and her doctor — not in politically driven debate among members of Congress and state legislatures.
Growing Up, Kagan Tested Boundaries Of Her Faith
5/12/2010
New York Times: Long before she became the first female dean of Harvard Law School and the first woman to serve as solicitor general, Ms. Kagan, now a nominee to the Supreme Court, was questioning and testing the boundaries of another institution: her religion.
Transgender Community In New Orleans Speaks Out Against Abuse And Discrimination By Police
5/13/2010
RH Reality Check: New Orleans' Black and transgender community members and advocates complain of rampant and systemic harassment and discrimination from the city's police force, including sexual violence and arrest without cause.
Quarter Of U.S. Women Ambivalent Toward Pregnancy
5/13/2010
CNN: Nearly one in four women of childbearing age in the United States are unconcerned about getting pregnant -- but aren't trying either -- and would be happy either way, according to a recent study.
Is The Tea Party A Feminist Movement?
5/12/2010
Slate: Is the Tea Party a women's movement? More women than men belong—55 percent, according to the latest Quinnipiac poll. And while no movement that uses Michelle Malkin as a poster girl could fairly be described as feminist, the party has become an insta-network for ambitious women.
Mali Imam Living In Fear After Backing Women's Rights
5/10/2010
BBC: An imam in Mali is living in fear after backing a new family law which no longer obliges wives to obey their husbands, angering Muslim groups.
French Parliament Lays Groundwork For Veil Ban
5/12/2010
Associated Press: French lawmakers unanimously passed a resolution on Tuesday asserting that face-covering Muslim veils are contrary to the principles of liberty, equality and fraternity on which France is founded.
Shining A Light Under The Veil
5/10/2010
Women’s Media Center: The author, whose interviews have been widely published, talks to playwright Mary Apick about the stories of women who spend their public lives shielded from our view.
Meeting Millennium Development Goals
5/10/2010
BBC: As part of a series assessing whether Bangladesh is on track to meet the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015, the BBC's Alastair Lawson visits a safety pin factory in the capital, Dhaka, which employs children.
Supreme Courts Around The World: More Women In The US Supreme Court
5/12/2010
Guardian: Obama's new nomination for the Supreme Court sparks debate about the representation of women in the judiciary.
Roundup: Is Male Birth Control Finally On Its Way?
5/13/2010
RH Reality Check: Ladies, your prayers are (slowly) being answered. Sick of the pills, the inserts, the injections and the patches? Well, it's almost time to tell your partner that birth control is HIS problem now.
What's Shocking About Miley Cyrus' Lap Dance Video
5/12/2010
Salon: It isn't the star's booty-shaking. It's the behavior of the 44-year-old man on the receiving end.
Virginity Auctions Go Coed
5/10/2010
Salon: The trend of individual virginity auctions is so last year. An Australian filmmaker has an updated approach: Round up some young virgins -- female and male -- sell them in a bidding war and make a documentary about the whole thing.